Table 1.
Urinary biomarkers in Lupus Nephritis.
| Biomarker | Specificity for renal involvement in SLE patients | Correlation with renal disease activity | Correlation with renal damage | Predictor of LN flares | Decrease after treatment | Main Detection method | Correlation with renal histology |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cytokines | |||||||
| TWEAK | + | + | ns | + | + | EIA | ns |
| IL-17 | + | + | + | ns | ns | EIA | + (class III/IV nephritis) |
| IL-6 | + | + | ns | ns | + | EIA | + (class IV nephritis) |
| Adiponectin | + | + | ns | + | ns | EIA | ns |
| TGF-β | + | + | – | ns | + | PCR/mRNA | + (class IV nephritis) |
| Osteoprotegerin | + | + | ns | ns | ns | EIA | ns |
| TNFR1 | + | + | ns | ns | ns | EIA | ns |
| Chemokines | |||||||
| MCP-1 | + | + | ns | + | + | EIA | + (class III/IV nephritis) |
| CCL5/RANTES | + | + | – | + | ns | PCR/mRNA | – |
| CXCL10/IP10 | + | + | ns | ns | ns | PCR/mRNA | + (class IV nephritis) |
| CXCL16 | + | + | – | ns | – | EIA | + (class IV nephritis) |
| IL-8 | + | + | ns | ns | + | EIA | ns |
| Urinary enzymes | |||||||
| NGAL | + | + | ns | + | + | EIA | ns |
| NAG | + | + | ns | ns | + | EIA | ns |
| Injury proteins | |||||||
| KIM-1 | + | + | + | ns | ns | EIA | ns |
| HMGB1 | + | + | ns | ns | ns | EIA | ns |
| Vascular molecules | |||||||
| Angiostatin | + | + | + | ns | ns | EIA | ns |
| VCAM – ICAM | + | + | + | – | ns | EIA | + (class III/IV nephritis) |
| Endothelin | + | + | ns | ns | + | EIA | ns |
| VEGF | + | + | ns | ns | ns | EIA | ns |
| Others biomarkers | |||||||
| FOXP 3 | + | + | ns | + | + | PCR/mRNA | ns |
| Ceruloplasmin | + | + | ns | ns | ns | EIA | ns |
| Transferrin | + | + | ns | + | + | EIA | ns |
| STAT-1 | + (biopsies) | + | ns | ns | ns | IHC | ns |
| Th1/Th2 Factors | + (Th1) | + (Th1) | ns | ns | ns | PCR/EIA | ns |
| LTh1 CD4 + CXCR3 + | + | + | ns | ns | ns | FCT | ns |
TWEAK: TNF-like weak inducer of apoptosis; TGF-β: transforming growth factor beta; TNFR1: Tumor necrosis factor receptor 1; MCP-1: monocyte chemoattractant protein-1; RANTES: Regulated upon Activation, Normal T cell Expressed, and Secreted; IP-10: Interferon gamma-induced protein 10; NGAL: neutrophil gelatinase-associated lipocallin; NAG: N-Acetyl-β-D Glucosaminidase; KIM-1: Urinary kidney injury molecule-1; HMGB1: High mobility group box 1; VCAM: vascular cell adhesion molecule 1; ICAM: Intercellular Adhesion Molecule 1; VEGF: Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor; FOXP3: forkhead box protein P3; STAT-1: Signal transducer and activator of transcription 1; Th1: T helper 1; Th2: T helper 2; EIA: Enzyme immunoassay; PCR: Polymerase chain reaction; mRNA: Messenger ribonucleic acid; IHC: Immunohistochemistry; CT: Flow cytometry. (+) indicates a positive and statistically significant relationship documented in at least one study; (−) indicate that there is no statistically significant relationship; “ns” denotes “not studied”. It must be taken into account that, for several molecules, the data are only available in 1–2 studies, and these findings should be updated as more validation tests are carried out.